An investigation to determine why a 64-year old accountant with no prior violent history would gun down hundreds of innocent people, then commit suicide, is underway.

Paddock’s brother, Eric Paddock, said “We’re still just completely befuddled. Dumbstruck. A retired accountant. A wealthy guy. He liked to play video poker. He went on cruises.”

Some things we know:

Paddock, a former private pilot, had not updated his FAA license since 2008, and it is speculated that he could not qualify based on his medical certification.

Several guns, reportedly 10, were discovered in his Mandalay Bay hotel room.

When they searched his home, police found that Paddock had been buying guns from
around the area and accumulated a small personal arsenal.

Tragedy demands answers as victims search for the meaning of behind this unthinkable act. It is difficult to explain the reason why someone seeming so completely normal would accumulate an arsenal, apparently legally, and rain death down on so many.

Though this tragedy will take time to better understand, we may never have answers. Those who survive will learn whether they are able to heal physically and emotionally from this trauma.

The entire country must do the same.

Las Vegas is a favorite U.S. and international adult playland, replete with casinos, entertainment, food and glamour. It offers a sense of freedom, inviting guests to leave worries behind while walking the “strip” and enjoying the bright lights and excitement.

Not only Las Vegas, but America has been affected in ways great and small by the actions of one sick man. We are one people; the tragedy which directly hit hundreds has affected us all.

Letterman’s statement is irresponsible. It is important to not seek blame based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation or age. If Paddock was motivated by hatred of Trump or Republicans, he’s not a representative of liberals. If he was Muslim, he doesn’t represent Islam. He is not a representative of white privilege, millionaires, or guys whose dad’s were bank robbers.

He is a representative of hatred gone unchecked. The Boston Marathon bombing was hatred gone unchecked. Sandy Hook was hatred gone unchecked.

After the Boston Bombings, President Obama characterized the attacks as “two brothers and a crock pot.’’ It was not Islamist privilege or even terrorism. The Tsarnaev brothers alone were responsible for their actions, regardless of who urged them on.

Obama could no more stop these tragedies than President Bush could have stopped those planes from hitting the Twin Towers.

It is critical for America to move away from the aftermath of hatred and violence that fills our mainstream and social media. The screaming and hate over statues, the hate gone unchecked that led to a death in Charlottesville, was so much sound and fury that ultimately means nothing.

It didn’t come from people seriously outraged over Civil War monuments. It was just haters looking for an excuse to hate.

The shooting in Las Vegas is hatred gone unchecked. We have to condemn the hate that turns Americans into enemies of Americans and justifies politically motivated violence.

Did Paddock own a MAGA cap? Or was he inspired by James Hodgkinson, the man who shot Representative Steve Scalise? Was he out to kill white Republicans at a country music concert?

Social media has responded to Letterman’s tweet:

Yup! David Letterman tweeted about ending “white privilege.” Interestingly, he has never tweeted about “ending Islam” after an attack. 🤔

Geftman-Gold, as so many liberals are wont to do, forgets that President Obama had the House and the Senate and was unable to stop lobbyist influence on Southern Democrat officials to enact meaningful gun control.

“This afternoon, the Senate voted on four proposals for increased gun control, two submitted by Republicans and two by Democrats. All four went down to defeat, although both Republican bills had majority support.

“Senator Chuck Grassley proposed legislation that would have increased funding for the NICS background check system, and would have pressed states to send more records to the FBI on felons and others barred from buying guns. It also revamped language that prohibits some people with mental health problems from buying guns. Grassley’s bill had majority support, 53-47, but wasn’t passed because the Democrats filibustered it.”

This is not a White privilege problem any more than the Black-on-Black shootings and murders in Chicago are representative of the entire black population. We are a country unable to come to terms with the rampaging and murderous and how to stop them.

For if not a gun, then a truck filled with fertilizer as in Oklahoma or two guys with a pressure cooker, as in Boston.

What we need to do is take a giant step forward toward recovery and resilience.

According to PsycheCentral, resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress. … It means ‘bouncing back’ from difficult experiences.”

Developing resilience with inspiration from leadership has the potential to bring us together in unity, resolution, and purpose.

The U.S. Department of State believes that resilience is entirely possible for those who choose to practice some of the following suggested methods which could be helpful:

Maintain a sense of perspective.

Recognize you have a choice in how you handle challenges.

Accept change.

Anticipate challenges.

Learn how to calm yourself.

Overcome your fear.

Let go of your anger.

Take action.

Recovery takes time to accomplish because trauma creates a mental and neurological imprint which can be reversed over time. Taking constructive action towards resilience could include seeking medical assistance, counseling, support groups, practicing meditation, reading self-help books, listening to motivational podcasts, seeking solitude and quiet, journaling and praying.

Being patient with recovery, including our family and friends, is also important.

What happened in Vegas will some day be recalled as a horrific incident, but not as a reflection on anyone but Paddock.

Tragedy reminds us that America’s freedoms are for the greater good, and not merely for an individual or a select group.

National resilience is entirely possible to achieve as easily as the individual is willing to give up the “I” in favor of the “we”-coming together in one unified American voice.

All of us at LifeCycles wish to convey our sincerest sympathy for those who lost family and friends during the tragic Las Vegas shooting.

Laurie Edwards-Tate, MS, President and Founder of At Your Home Familycare in San Diego, California, was among the first to recognize the growing need for services allowing individuals to remain independent created by the aging of America including the Baby Boomer generation, now being called the “Silver Tsunami.” It is the Baby Boomers who are rapidly redefining what aging and growing older means and looks like in America today.
Now celebrating its 28th year in business, AYHF is among San Diego County’s Top Women-Owned Businesses and Fastest Growing Businesses, and enjoys a reputation for upholding the highest possible standards among its employees and its emphasis on customer service. Edwards-Tate is a valued contributor to the public dialogue on current issues and challenges in the home care industry, and serves in leadership roles on the Home Care Aide Association of America Advisory Board and Private Duty Home Care Association Advisory Board, as well as the Home Care Aide Steering Committee of the California Association for Health Services at Home.
Edwards-Tate is frequently interviewed in the media on healthy aging, caregiving, and health care topics.
Follow Laurie and AYHF at www.atyourhomefamilycare.com; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atyourhomefamilycare, and Twitter at @AYHFamilycare